The mirror flood, or BookFort 2.0

[mrs_persson]

Who: Una Persson, O'Brien, and semi-open (see Notes).
What: In which Una tries to keep O'Brien safe, tries not to get killed, and probably tries to keep other people from getting killed.
Where: Una's cabin and elsewhere.
When: Throughout the mirrorverse flood.
Warnings: For Una and O'Brien's threads, much bitching. For the others, probable dark

Comments

Elsewhere...

[mrs_persson]

Una was trying to keep up appearances for the affected individuals, and at the same time trying to make contact with the unaffected people, to try and keep them safe. Unfortunately this involved occasionally leaving her room, generally at mealtimes, but also to put in general appearances around and about to ensure that it didn't actually look like she was hiding.

[mrs_persson]

"Likewise," Una said, finally managing a smile. "Good luck with Rinzler. And I'll be in touch. In person, if possible; you never know who might be watching on the journals." She moved toward Toshiko then, and gave her a hug. "Be careful."

Re: Elsewhere...

[19centconstable]

[There's no mistaking Jack for George: Jack has terrible posture. He's also a bit unkempt in a way that would send George screaming to a wash basin; but he wears a very amiable expression; a sort of permanent cheekiness which is endearing, in a way, and likely helps him to get away with a lot.]

Wotcher, Missus?

[Jack is lounging against a wall like he has nothing better to do. And he doesn't, really.]

Re: Elsewhere...

[mrs_persson]

[Una barely manages to not do a double-take at the sight of him, because she almost doesn't recognise him as George's evil twin.]

Morning, Jack.

[The name almost comes out as "George", but memory kicks in and she changes it just in time.]

Re: Elsewhere...

[19centconstable]

[Evil is such a strong word. Jack is more George's shiftless, ill-raised, immoral twin.]

Some ruckus earlier, weren't that? Nearly couldn't sleep through it.

[But then he managed.]

Re: Elsewhere...

[mrs_persson]

[Smirk.]

Poor thing. Having your rest all disrupted. It doesn't seem to have added up to much, though, does it?

Re: Elsewhere...

[19centconstable]

Nah. Or weren't nothin' important, anyway. Shame that. Looks like we'll all 'ave to make our own fun.

[Other mirror-verse residents saying something like that might cause chills to run down your spine, but with Jack you get the distinct impression the most violent thing he intends to do is fall back into bed and take a nap. Not necessarily his bed, though. And then perhaps swipe all of the salt. Just because. Folks might pay for salt.]

Re: Elsewhere...

[mrs_persson]

[It's kind of funny, actually, that he seems relatively harmless.]

Well, be careful. We wouldn't want you to exert yourself too much in so doing.

Re: Elsewhere...

[19centconstable]

[Hey, just because he's a bad-guy, that doesn't mean he's a bad guy. But George would be totally ashamed to have turned out this way, harmless or not.]

I'm right touched by your concern, Missus; right touched.

Re: Elsewhere...

[mrs_persson]

Need anything?

[The polite question pops out before Una remembers to stop it, and mentally she kicks herself. Please, let him have no requests...]

Re: Elsewhere...

[19centconstable]

Depends what yer offerin'. An' what I'd owe.

[Lucky for Una, Jack is so naturally suspicious, he'd never suspect that she was actually just being nice.]

Re: Elsewhere...

[mrs_persson]

Mm. Right now? You don't owe me anything, I don't think. But that could always change.

Re: Elsewhere...

[19centconstable]

...Right...

[Darn your double speak! Jack's not sure if that's a threat or an offer. And she has used him before.

...Not that he'd minded.]

You know me, Missus: always willin' to deal.

[Jack cheats at cards.]

First evening

[feels_no_love]

The kitchen's blood supply had not been restocked...again. Dracula sighed. It meant calling upon someone here, and though a few of the Inmates were tolerable even they got less so as time went on. He was not actively thirsty yet--that would take weeks--but long experience had taught him to keep full if he didn't want to drain someone on sheer instinct. Which was, of course, what the Wardens wanted from him. The regular, casual murders of his misspent vampire youth.

He looked a little different: hair down on his shoulders, his coat left back in his cabin, a finger-armor style false finger covering the stub on his right hand. He pushed his hair back out of his eyes and tried on an engaging seducer's smile....

...which dropped right off his face as he saw his neighbor approaching. Oh God. Her. Quickly schooling his features toward neutrality, he inclined his head, saying stiffly, "Miss Una."

First evening

[mrs_persson]

She could tell he was different just from looking at him, and the careful neutrality suggested that he generally expected something fairly harsh from her. While she had no problem playing certain aspects of her new rôle, the ones that involved actual brutality toward the inmates were right out.

So: try not to arouse any suspicions, then; but of course if she could eventually get him to trust her and listen to an explanation of what had happened, he might be a valuable ally while this lasted...

"Vladislaus. Is something the matter?"

First evening

[feels_no_love]

His suspicious glance was quickly hidden behind a careful smile. Was she feigning concern to get in under his guard?

"I am fine. Perhaps a bit rattled from the Barge's tossing about." That was a slip and he cursed himself inwardly. He was never supposed to show that he could be stirred emotionally at all. But it was true. There was a warmth and animation in his eyes and features that was not normally there.

"Yourself?"